House Unanimous In Backing Drinking Age Bill

May 18, 1985|By Linda Kleindienst, Tallahassee Bureau Chief

TALLAHASSEE — A drive to boost the state`s legal drinking age to 21 years gained the support even of its House opponents Friday and appears headed for a victory in the Senate, possibly as early as next week.

The House voted 114-0 for the bill (CS HB 54) that Rep. Fran Carlton has been trying to get passed since the 1979 legislative session.

``After seven years of trying to do this, I had a beautiful speech ready for you,`` said Carlton, D-Orlando. ``But I`m going to waive my right to that and ask you to celebrate with me and vote `yes` on this bill.``

After only the green ``yes`` lights appeared on the House`s electronic vote board, showing the 114-0 victory for Carlton, she received a flood of congratulations from fellow House members who lined up in front of her desk for kisses and handshakes.

Opponents made only weak attempts to water down the bill, all of which failed in overwhelming voice votes. When the time came to vote on final passage, no attempt was made to debate either the pros or the cons of the issue. Even amendments drew little discussion.

Although the bill would take effect this year, it would ``grandfather in`` all those who are 19 years old by July 1, meaning they would be allowed to continue purchasing alcoholic beverages.

The pending Senate bill would allow anyone who turns 20 on or before Sept. 30 this year to keep drinking legally.

The House bill, supported by Gov. Bob Graham, now goes to the Senate for a vote. Since the measure has encountered little opposition in Senate committees, it is expected to pass that chamber.

If the state does not raise its legal drinking age it stands to lose about $81 million in federal road money. Congress has mandated that any state which fails to raise the age to 21 by Oct. 1, 1986, would lose 5 percent of its federal highway money the first year of non-compliance and 10 percent the following year. Congress did, however, allow that any state could recover that money by acting on a drinking age law.

Florida lowered its legal drinking age from 21 years to 18 years in 1973, when 18-year-olds were given the right to vote. But in 1979, the Legislature increased the drinking age to 19 years in an effort to help remove alcohol from high school campuses.

Proponents of increasing the age to 21 have argued that it would cut down on the high number of alcohol-related traffic fatalities involving young drivers.